Curriculum & Instruction

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Curriculum Renewal and Design Process

Marinette School District utilizes a collaborative approach to review and redesign our 4K to 12th grade curriculum on a five to six year cycle. As we strive to inspire, engage, and impact both our local and global community, we utilize a thorough curriculum review process in which stakeholders are able to closely examine current data and best practices. Through this process, we aim to provide the best curriculum resources to support evidenced based instructional practices in all of our classrooms. The School Board has policies and practices that the district follows to ensure local control of the process.

Overview of the Process

All curricular areas are systematically reviewed with learning expectations, reformatted as specific learning content and performance standards for students. The school district has a cycle defined for when this takes place.

Through a curriculum committee of content specialists, administrators, and consultants, a review of the current evidenced-based research, recent and updated standards, State assessment information, and current student achievement data and trends takes place.
The curriculum committee establishes position statements for the content area. These goals and beliefs guide the committee's work towards reviewing updated curriculum resources.
Through the process, the educators participate in curriculum writing to devise units of study and to develop instructional learning targets for our Marinette students.
The curriculum committee reviews updated curriculum resources. Selection is based off of criteria established by the Teaching and Learning Director and the committee. Recommendations for resources go to the Board for approval, usually in the Spring of the school year.
During the following fall, curriculum writing and resources are implemented in our classrooms. During this time, changes may take place in instructional practices, assessments and report cards to align to our new curriculum design and resources.
Program reconsiderations and adjustments are made throughout the remaining years to ensure curriculum fidelity in implementation.

Curriculum Review Cycle Gr. 4K-5
Curriculum Review Cycle Gr. 5-12

Academic Standards

Board Approved Wisconsin Academic Standards specify what students should know and be able to do in the classroom. They serve as goals for teaching and learning. Setting high standards enables students, parents, educators, and citizens to know what students should have learned at a given point in time. In Wisconsin, all state standards serve as a model. Locally elected boards adapt academic standards in each subject area to best serve their local community.